The One's
by Aakino
Summary: Neo wakes up after a long coma to find that the One's before him are looking for the final One in order to free humanity for good.


Darkness. Pain. Isolation. These are what Neo was feeling, having sacrificed himself against Smith. He had felt this several times before. Death. In the hallway. At the courtyard. In the crater at the final battle. However, he had succumbed to it this time. He wanted to yell, but no sound came to his mouth. Then, a new feeling came to him. It touched him, as if it were a friendly hand on his right shoulder. Female. That touch he had known before, but had since forgotten.

Peace.

Suddenly, he knew. He was alive. Was it like before, where he had spent his life inside of that pod? No. Something was different. There, he had a life. Now, he had nothing. Time was simply a blur to him. Was he here for a Second? A minute? A year? These answers, he did not know. All he knew was that he was somewhere, somewhere his eyes weren't allowing him to see. He summoned his strength, focusing on seeing himself once again. What would be there? Would she be there waiting for him? Would he be home in Zion again? First, he had to get his eyes open.

"Wake up, Neo." He saw it in his mind, the first words that started him on a path to greatness. Perhaps, now, he could continue. The darkness slowly began to fade. Light broke into his conscious mind like a beam of hope, and then began to spread. He was not sure what to expect.

"Give it time." he told himself.

His brown eyes opened up to find himself in a warm bed. He didn't know where he was, but he quickly remembered what he was looking at. A bedroom, looks like a place a young girl would find comfort. Stuffed animals along one wall. A white window, almost cliche'. Sunlight poured into it from the outside. Was he back in the matrix? No. This didn't feel familiar to him. He tried to turn his sore, aching neck to see what else he could find. He turned to his left. His bed. It was made of wood, hand made. Someone had put a lot of work into it. He looked down. A large, warm quilted comforter, also hand made. His hands were to his sides, sore like his eyes and neck were. It was like being born again. He remembered the first time, when he entered the real world.

He turned to his right. What he saw shocked him. A...girl? She was young, older teen. Brown hair in a pony tail, a red flannel jacket covering her thin frame. She had on a tight pair of jeans, with Converse shoes on. He could tell she was taller than she looked, but her physique was such that she could position herself entirely on the chair. She was slumped over one knee, as if she had fallen asleep while keeping vigil. Neo narrowed his eyes as he looked upon her. Who was she? Where was she from? Was this her room that he slept in? He didn't know. He still couldn't quite muster any words to his throat to speak. Without warning she shook, as if startled awake from a dream. She sleepily looked towards him, her hazel eyes turning a weak blue or greenish color. She looked at him, looking upon her. Suddenly, her eyebrows rose. She spoke with a high voice. Neo wasn't sure if it was out of excitement or fear.

"Oh, my god...you're awake!" she said. Quickly she got up, opened the door, and ran out of the room yelling for someone to come.  
"He's awake, he's awake!" she bellowed into what seemed to be an empty hallway. He couldn't see too far down the corridor, but he could tell he was in some sort of a house.

"Wait!" he found himself saying, his arm shooting up to reach after her. Still sore, he winced in pain as he pulled his arm back under the covers. He was not ready to move.

Suddenly, a large black man appeared. He had short black hair, ebony-colored skin, and a black t-shirt. He was a much larger man, several hundred pounds. He had a bearded face, but no mustache He had on a blue denim jacket, as well as blue denim pants. A black belt with two rows of holes secured his large, baggy pants to his waist with a silver buckle. On his feet, he wore large black work boots. He was quite a sight, but his demeanor appeared friendly. He held a large porcelain bowl on a matching saucer. Neo could smell chicken noodle soup.

The man's footsteps thundered as he came into the bedroom. He had a smile that was as large as his figure upon his face. The girl who was in the bedroom followed him slowly. She was quiet. With a gracefulness unbefitting his size, the man sat down on the wooden chair the girl had earlier occupied. Neo wasn't quite sure if he already knew this man or not. He would have to try to muster up the strength to speak to him. The man spoke first.

"Now now, Neo. Don't do too much, ok? Here, I'm gonna feed you." the man said. His voice didn't quite appear deep as it should, but he spoke with authority.

"Morpheus?" Neo squeaked out in question. The man simply stirred the hot contents of the bowl he held in his hand.

"Oh no, sir! I'm at least several hundred years older than anyone you'd know!" the man replied, with a wide smile. "Here, eat this."

The man held a silver spoon full of broth and soft noodles towards Neo's mouth. He may have had trouble speaking, but he could open his mouth enough to eat. The feeling in his stomach told him that he hadn't eaten for some time. With a mild slurp, he had ingested the contents of the spoon. With that, the man dipped it once again back into the bowl.

"Who are you?" Neo asked. The man looked in his direction, his big oak-colored eyes looking into Neo's.

"Me? My name is Saint. Nice to meet you finally, Neo." he said.

"I'm Gaia!" said the girl, standing behind Saint.

"How do you know my name?" asked Neo. Saint sighed as he tried to think of a simple way to explain their relationship.

"If you want to put it one way, we came before you. If you want to put it in another...I made you!" said Saint, handing him another spoonful.  
Neo took a sip from the spoon, but then began to cough. The soup was on the warm side of hot, and he still had trouble swallowing.

"Careful." said Saint. "Just rest, friend!" Saint put the bowl and saucer on a nightstand on the side of Neo's bed. He then sat back on the chair and rested his hands on his knees.

"I'm sure you want to know where you are. We were able to salvage you after your fight with Smith. I've waited a long time to meet you, sir. We were able to find you, and we brought you to our home." explained Saint.

"Where am I?" asked Neo. Gaia took a step forward to answer.

"Well, remember the train station? Well, Saint was able to put together a similar world, apart from the matrix. We've been here many years." she explained.

"Well, I was able to make this with some help from friends on the inside. You've been here a long time. You were actually in a room I had prepared for you, but we moved you here where I was able to keep an eye on you for the last day or so. See, you've been in a coma for the last 50." said Saint, matter-of-factly.

"50 years?" said Neo, a shocked expression on his face. "I've been here that long?"

"Uh...yes." answered Saint. "But that part isn't important yet. What IS important, at this moment in time, is why you're here. You see, Neo, you are part of a plan that was started ever since the beginning of the Matrix. You were instrumental in a plot that I've been working on to free humanity. We are the One's before you."

"Before me? Wha...?" questioned Neo.

"Yes. Officially, I'am the first One: Anomaly 00. She is 02, and you are 05. I will need your help again...to find the final One!"

~To be continued


End file.
